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We all know how important it is to be as comfortable as possible when booting up our favorite games. And what better way than to crash out on the couch or in bed, keyboard and mouse in hand. In this guide, we take a look at the best lap desks for gaming laptops on the market, whether you’re rocking a MacBook Air or a beast of an Alienware.
For 15″ Laptops and Smaller
- DIMENSIONS: 22" x 14.5" x 2.55"; Large work surface
- FITS LARGE LAPTOPS: Supports laptops computers 13", 15" or 17" inches while also using a computer mouse
- MEMORY FOAM COMFORT: Cool and comfortable design built with a memory foam cushion, wrist rest and handle for portability
- WIDE SURFACE: Provides a sturdy surface for crafts, writing, reading, eating food or working in bed
For 17″ Laptops and Larger
- Your Mobile Command Center. The 1st and Only of it's Kind. Designed and Engineered for Greatness. Made in the US by Gamers,...
- Size: This gamers lapdesk was built to fit your 17" laptops perfectly. It contains an extra large (10.29" x 10.55") gamers...
- Heat Protection: Comfort should include temperature control but laptops release continual heat. Its ventilation cools down...
- Device Dock: Secure, viewing dock for your iPhone (iPhone 5/6/6s/7 and Plus Models, Samsung Galaxy, Nexus, HTC, and...
Considerations For Lap Desk Gaming
If you’re 100% set on getting a lap desk for your laptop gaming needs you can skip this part. However, there are some things you might not have thought about that can affect your gaming experience.
To put it simply, it’s never going to be quite the same as gaming from a proper desk (assuming you will be using a keyboard and mouse). You’re movement is restricted and you’ll probably find yourself craving those few extra inches of mouse space.
There are a few ways to make the experience more enjoyable though. You can try increasing your mouse sensitivity so you won’t require as much mouse space. Although that’s another thing you’re going to need to get used to. You could also try using a trackball (article coming soon, stay tuned), or a controller. Not ideal for some genres though, especially competitive FPS games.
But I get it. Despite these drawbacks, nothing quite beats kicking back on the couch or in bed and booting up your favorite game. So lets check out the best lap desks for gaming.
Best Lap Desk for Gaming Laptops (15″ & Smaller)
There a quite a few options available for small-medium sized gaming laptops. In my quest for the best I was looking for a good quality build, comfort, ample mouse space, and a reasonable price tag. Plus extra points for style of course.
Overall, the best option is the Sofia + Sam Oversized Memory Foam Lap Desk. The LapGear XL came close, but for a similar price the Sofia + Sam has the slight edge.
Sofia + Sam Oversized Memory Foam Lap Desk
One of the best things about the Sofia + Sam lap desk is the memory foam cushion. It makes the desk really comfortable to use which is what you need for those extended gaming sessions. Most of the alternatives either have no cushion at all, or if they do have a cushion, the filling disintegrates after a while.
For 15″ laptops and below, the Sofia + Sam has plenty of room for your mouse. In fact, if you’re happy to let your laptop overhang a little bit and don’t need too much mouse space, it can just about fit a 17″ laptop.
One complaint which frequently comes up is that the top is quite slick and things slide around a bit. This is a minor issue but might be a problem if the rubber feet on your laptop are worn down. There is also no ventilation so you might want to consider a cooling pad to use alongside the lap desk. This isn’t a necessity though.
This model comes in four styles. It isn’t made clear which styles come with what, so…
- Standard: Plain lap desk (as pictured).
- Deluxe: Table slot (for iPads etc.), USB light and wrist rest.
- USB light: USB light and wrist rest.
- Wrist rest: Wrist rest only.
I will warn you that the wrist rest has mixed reviews. Some people love it, some hate it, but it can’t be removed. A good compromise is to purchase the standard version and add your own wrist rest if you really want one.
Overall, the Sofia + Sam Oversized Memory Foam Lap Desk is a great all-round choice for laptops 15″ and under. Good quality, comfortable to use, and a price tag which won’t break the bank.
Best Lap Desk for Gaming Laptops (17″ & Bigger)
Unfortunately, there aren’t many options for lap desks designed for 17″ laptops and over. The best lap desk I found is the Hover X+, although it does comes with a hefty price tag. For 17″ laptops, the Sofia + Sam Oversized Memory Foam Lap Desk is just about big enough and you might want to give that a try instead. But for laptops over 17″, there will be no mouse space.
Hover X+
The first thing that struck me about the Hover X+ is its lack of cushion or padding. Although it could definitely benefit from a cushion, there aren’t too many complaints about the lap desk being uncomfortable. And if you really want a cushion you can always put one underneath it yourself (this is what quite a few users recommend doing).
The Hover X+ is 25″ wide which is perfect for gaming as it leaves plenty of mouse space, even with larger laptops. The built in mouse pad is a decent size too, which is a bonus if – like me – you like to use a lower mouse sensitivity.
As it was built with gaming in mind, the Hover X+ has pretty good ventilation. It might only be a few holes in the board, but it can definitely make a difference during longer gaming sessions. The device dock is another cool feature for looking at walkthroughs, controls etc. whilst you’re playing.
A word of warning. The mouse pad is known to give off quite a bad smell, presumably from the manufacturing process. This should clear over time though.
Due to the fixed layout of the board, it isn’t suited for left-handed use.
The Hover X+ is a really good size for larger gaming laptops and is a high quality board. Despite the price tag, it is probably the best option if you really want the extra mouse space.
Conclusion
So, these are our picks for the best lap desks for gaming laptops. If you really don’t want to splash out on a desk (especially the Hover X+ which I think is a little overpriced), you can always do what I used to do and pick up a cheap lap desk like this one, and use a nice thick book as a mouse pad.
Last update on 2023-01-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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